


3 Years Of Chikariko

by Cinnamon18



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 18:45:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16603499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinnamon18/pseuds/Cinnamon18
Summary: Three years of Chika and Riko being a mess, one year of them having it together.





	3 Years Of Chikariko

**Author's Note:**

> This was a piece I did for the Is Your Heart Shining zine! You should check out the complete zine! https://twitter.com/iyhs_zine
> 
>  
> 
> (I'll learn to title pieces one day, I promise)

Chika and You were sitting on the floor of her room, ostensibly studying for their history test the next day. You specified ‘ostensibly’ because Chika’s mind was clearly elsewhere. It had been several minutes since she’d seen her turn a page. To be fair, Chika being distracted wasn’t actually that uncommon. And it wouldn't’ve been an issue if Chika hadn’t been fidgeting the way she did when she had something on her mind. You was pretty sure she knew what was up, but she was gonna make Chika make the first move. She wanted to study after all.

She didn’t have to wait long. “I wonder how I can convince Riko to be an idol… I don’t know why she turned me down! She seemed so interested when I told her about μ’s.” said Chika.

“I’m sure she’ll come around. You’ve just gotta give her time.” said You. She wasn’t just saying that. When Chika first asked Riko to join, she could tell she had wanted to say yes. Riko had felt Chika’s spark, her energy, her ambition, her certain something that made you want to be swept up in the mad chase for your dreams.

“I can’t just wait for her though! Maybe if I make her listen to more of their songs she’ll realize how amazing school idols are.” said Chika

“It sounds like she already knows. Maybe she knows, but doesn’t know she knows.” said You.

Chika groaned theatrically and flopped over. You was right, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear.

“I’m gonna keep at it. I’m gonna keep trying until she finds the sea.” said Chika.  


 

. . . .

 

Riko broke the surface, the warm sun and entire blue sky embracing her. She’d heard it again, throbbing through her head. The sea was speaking, no, calling to her! And she’d heard it! She laughed and splashed the water’s surface, unable to contain her pounding excitement. 

She’d first heard the sea while diving with Chika, You, and Kanan a while back, but she asked You to take her to hear it again. She didn’t want to bother Chika after all she’d already done to help her, and she figured You would be amiable to her request. Diving in open water was pretty similar to swim practice, right?

Back at the dock the two sat at the end of the pier, letting the warm sea breeze dry them off. Riko glanced over. You was stretched out against the rough boards, the perfect likeness of a cat dozing in the sun. Riko had an itching question but it seemed rude to disturb her nap. She looked so comfortable! Riko swished her fin through the bay’s little waves, impatient ripples splashing gently against the support beams.

“Hey, um, You?” she asked.

“Mmhm?” You didn’t open her eyes.

“Does Chika like me?” asked Riko.

You giggled and sat up. “Of course she likes you! You two hang out together so much. And she’s always talking about you, ya know.”

“But. Does she, hmm. Like, like me?” asked Riko. If You hadn’t already known what Riko was going to ask, she would’ve been baffled. 

“Is she into you as more than a friend?”

“Well. Yeah.”

“It’s no secret you like her, you know,” said You. Riko looked over at her, pained. “I thought I was being pretty obvious. I think even Ruby’s caught on by this point.” Everything about her was more so around Chika. More vibrant, more affectionate. Riko wasn’t one to wear her heart on her sleeve, but Chika should’ve gotten a clue by this point!

“Hmm,” said You, “That’s very… Chika. She can be like that sometimes. But I think she does care about you, as more than a friend. She’s just not sure how she feels yet.”

“How can she not be sure? I wish she would make up her mind. She’s always so honest with her feelings, why not with this?” Riko knew she was being unreasonable, but she was frustrated. You was just trying to be helpful.

“People are complicated, Riko.” You paused. “The worst thing you could do is rush her. She’s gotta figure it out for herself.”

“Can’t I help her figure it out?” asked Riko.

“You are! Every time you two are together, she understands her feelings a little better. Just keep at it and things will work out!”

The two lapsed back into silence. Riko sighed, slow and drawn out. She let go of the tension in her core, letting it drain out through her toes and into the bay. It was okay. This was okay. Chika could take as long as she needed. Riko would be here waiting for her.

“You could always just tell her how you feel? Just put it all out there?” said You gently.

Riko didn’t reply. She just kept swirling her flipper through the water, willing the waves to carry her feelings the same way they carried that beautiful, serene, music. 

 

. . . .

 

The two took turns making food. They didn’t have any sort of formal schedule, but Riko’s evening classes and tendency to be more awake in the mornings meant she usually ended up making breakfast. Chika, more of an evening person, handled dinners. She’d been trying to improve her cooking since she got to college, with only mixed success. After the third time she burned vegetables Riko began to tease her about her tendency to leave the kitchen for ‘just a moment’, only to be reminded of the task at hand by the blaring smoke detector. Still, she wanted to get better. It was an important skill!

Cooking was also a nice time to let her mind wander while she waited for Riko to get back. Did she have assignments she’d forgotten for example, or what should they do for their anniversary? It was coming up. Also, it was a weird insecurity, but Chika wondered if she should miss Riko more. She was frequently the subject of her ponderings. It made sense that she would be on her mind; even just glancing around she could feel Riko’s presence in the elegant decorations, orderly bookshelves, and little melodies scribbled on scrap paper. They were so distinctly Riko that Chika had once caught herself about to call out to her. She supposed that was why she didn’t feel lonely - even when Riko was away, she never felt far.

She did have to hurry it up though. Riko would be home soon, and she wanted to have food on the table when she got back - she thought it made her look very put together. Mmm, fresh rice was the best. She scooped out two bowlfuls, warm steam tickling her face. Rice, veggies, fish, a square meal! Certainly better than what she made on nights Riko was away. All that was left was to wait.

Down the hallway, a key turned in the lock. Riko slid into their apartment and shivered at the temperature change. She paused to breathe in the delicious smell of whatever Chika was cooking, letting it drain the frost from her chest. It was good to be home. Home was warmth, comfort, shelter from the whirlwind of stressors that made up life. Home was Chika.

Taking in another deep breath, she called out, “Chika! I’m home!”


End file.
